Somehow Gaming’s Getting Even Less Social, Thanks to the PS4s Share Play

Sony have just announced their new Share Play service. And to be fair to them, it’s pretty spectacular. With Share Play you can share your games with your friends, without them having to own that game.

So let’s say you’re playing your favourite game and you’re stuck. Your mates amazing at the game. So you remotely connection with him while you’re both in your individual homes. He takes over the game and passes the level, without even having to come over to your place to do it.

Great. Right?

There’s just one problem: This kills one of the only reasons why we gamers actually bother to go to each other’s homes and… you know, socialise properly. The amount of times I’ve hopped over to a friends house just to help them pass a level… and now that’s dead.

It’s not that Sony’s idea isn’t cool. It’s new technology—yay, go technology! But while technology often makes things easier it also makes them worse.

Is it really so bad to have to socialise sometimes when playing games? Are we actually glad that we won’t have to pop over to the friends#’ house to help them out?

For some Share Play might seem like a leap forward, but for me it’s just another nail in the coffin for social gaming.

So, who wants to come over to my play for a Super Mario Kart tournament. Sob. The good times are dead.